[00:00:02]
MY NAME IS STEVEN AKA CALLING TO ORDER
[CALL TO ORDER]
THE COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING.TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH, 2024.
IT'S 6:40 PM UH, WE ARE MEETING IN THE, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM DOWN AT CITY HALL.
ALTHOUGH, UH, ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WILL BE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN FOLLOW ALONG, WATCH US ON A TXN LIVE.
UH, BUT WITH THAT, WE WILL, UH, GO INTO OUR ROLL CALL.
UH, AGAIN, MY NAME IS STEVEN APODACA, REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO CHAIR OF THE CTTC.
UH, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL ON COMMISSIONERS, UH, TO, UH, COME ON WITH THEIR VIDEO AND, UH, UNMUTE THEMSELVES.
AND I'LL CALL ON EACH OF YOU JUST TO KEEP THINGS MOVING.
UH, I'M JUST GONNA GO IN THE ORDER IN WHICH I SEE YOU.
UH, VICE CHAIR CARINA ALTE HERE, UH, REPRESENTING, UH, DISTRICT THREE.
UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, COME ON VIDEO AND, UM, ANNOUNCE YOURSELF? OKAY.
WE'LL GIVE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS A MINUTE.
UH, COMMISSIONER HERITAGE, UH, COMMISSIONER HERITAGE HERE REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR.
COMMISSIONER KU REPRESENTING DISTRICT SIX.
COMMISSIONER SUPTA, REPRESENTING DISTRICT 10.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS. COMMISSIONER.
COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, DISTRICT ONE.
COMMISSIONER PENA VIA COMMISSIONER PEN PENIA REPRESENTING DAM MAYOR AUSTIN.
COMMISSIONER ANGA REPRESENTING DISTRICT NINE.
AND COMMISSIONER RICE, IF, UH, NOT SURE IF YOU'VE SOLVED YOUR TECH ISSUES OR NOT, BUT WE'LL GIVE YOU A MOMENT TO COME ON.
UH, COMMISSIONER RICE, UH, REPRESENTING, UH, DISTRICT FIVE.
JUST, UH, BE AWARE, YOU WILL HAVE TO COME ON VIDEO FOR ANY, UH, ANY VOTES.
UH, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE DO HAVE, UH, SUFFICIENT, UH, COMMISSIONERS FOR A QUORUM.
UH, SO WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR AGENDA.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP.
UH, SO WITH THAT, WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR FIRST AGENDA
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR OCTOBER 9TH MEETING.UH, FOLKS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THEIR, UH, THEIR MEETING SUMMARY FROM DAN.
DAN, AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR, UH, DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB CAPTURING MINUTES.
THESE SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE CALENDAR INVITE AS WELL AS VIA EMAIL.
UH, AND I BELIEVE THEY'RE ALSO POSTED ON THE CTTC, UH, WEBSITE.
UH, SO I'LL JUST GIVE COMMISSIONERS, UH, A FEW MOMENTS TO REVIEW THOSE, AND THEN I'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY, UM, AMENDMENTS TO THE MINUTES, I WILL TAKE THOSE NOW.
OTHERWISE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
COMMISSIONERS COULD, UH, COME ON VIDEO.
WE'LL GIVE, UH, COMMISSIONERS WILLIAMS, NOJA, ANGA, AND RICE.
ANOTHER FEW SECONDS TO COME ON VIDEO.
I'M STILL HAVING TECHNICAL ISSUES AND UNABLE TO TURN THE CAMERA ON.
I'M CURRENTLY CALLING INTO MY PHONE.
I, I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH COMMISSIONERS TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE, UH, OCTOBER 9TH MINUTES AS PRESENTED.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY AYE.
ANY, ANY ABSTENTIONS, ANYONE AGAINST? OKAY.
MINUTES ARE, UH, ARE APPROVED.
WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR,
[00:05:01]
UH, SECOND[2. Presentation on the Digital Storytelling Project programming provided by E4 Youth, inc. (Carl Settles, Founder/CEO, E4 Youth, Inc.)]
ITEM, AND THAT IS A, UH, GUEST PRESENTATION FROM, UH, CARL SETTLES FROM, UH, E FOUR YOUTH.SO, WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER.
CARL, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
CAN HEAR MY VOICE THROUGH THE SPEAKERS.
HI, I'M CARL SETTLES, AND I AM THE CEO AND FOUNDER OF, UH, E FOR YOUTH.
UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR, MAN, 17 YEARS.
UM, WHAT IS NOW E FOR U STARTED, UH, A WHILE AGO.
UM, SO I'M GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH ALL OF, UH, YOU ALL THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF A PRESENTATION, UH, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO OUR DIGITAL STORYTELLING PROGRAM.
UM, START OFF WITH A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, BACKGROUND INFORMATION, UH, ON E FOR YOUTH.
UM, OUR VISION STATEMENT IS THAT WE'RE BUILDING A TALENT PIPELINE OF 10,000 K THROUGH 24 YOUTH THAT EMBRACE THEIR STORIES AND HAVE THE DIGITAL SKILLS NEEDED TO THRIVE IN CITIES ACROSS THE WORLD.
UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER 16 YEARS, UM, OF GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, I REALLY CAME TO A REALIZATION THAT IF E FOR YOUTH WAS GONNA LIVE BEYOND ME, THAT, UM, WE HAD TO TRANSITION FROM BEING A MOM AND POP, UH, TYPE OF OPERATION TO SOMETHING THAT'S TRULY SCALABLE.
UM, AND SO WE'VE REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON, UH, BEING INTENTIONAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA FOR US IS THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UH, WHERE WE'RE SHRINKING SO THAT WE CAN GROW, UM, AT AN EXPONENTIAL LEVEL.
UM, TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP ACADEMY OF COLLEGE, EIGHT YOUTH THAT, UH, LAST YEAR WAS NEAR, UH, 30 PEOPLE.
WE'RE MAKING THAT THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE 16, AND WE'RE GONNA SERVE ABOUT 766 K THROUGH 12, UH, STUDENTS.
UM, AND THEN BY FY 26, OUR, WHERE OUR FISCAL YEARS GOES NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, UH, WE'LL HAVE 30, UH, AT LEAST 30 MEMBERS OF THAT ACADEMY AND BE SERVING OVER 2200, UM, K THROUGH EIGHT STUDENTS.
AND SO IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SERVING 10,000 PLUS STUDENTS ON, UM, ON, ON AN ONGOING, UH, BASIS, UH, EACH YEAR.
AND, UH, REALLY PUTTING THE THINGS IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THIS IN OTHER MARKETS.
CAN YOU TAKE ME TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE? SO, THE WAY THAT OUR PROGRAMS WORK IS IN THAT AT THE CENTER ARE COLLEGE AGE YOUTH, AND THESE ARE THE MEMBERS OF OUR CREATIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
UH, SO THESE, UH, JUST KEEP HITTING THEM.
JUST KEEP ON HITTING THEM AND WE'LL, THERE, OH, GO BACK.
SO, AS YOU'LL SEE UP IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER, IF YOU CAN SEE THAT ON YOUR SCREEN, UM, WE WORK WITH OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS WHO COACH, TRAIN, AND HIRE OUR COLLEGE AGE YOUTH.
UM, AND THEN IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER, THEY ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THESE FOLKS TO COLLECT ORAL HISTORIES, UH, PARTICULARLY OF, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING IN AUSTIN AND CAPTURING THEIR STORIES.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU GO TO THE LOWER RIGHT HAND CORNER, THEY ARE TAKING THOSE STORIES THAT THEY TURN INTO IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES BASED ON KEY LOCATIONS.
SO AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY.
UH, THEY LEARN HOW TO DO THAT, AND THEN THEY'RE TAKING THAT CONTENT INTO OUR K THROUGH EIGHT CLASSROOMS. AND THIS IS REALLY THE, THE, THE GENESIS OF OUR DIGITAL STORYTELLING PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IS THAT, UH, WE WANT THESE, THESE K THROUGH EIGHT STUDENTS TO SEE THEMSELVES, THEIR COMMUNITIES REPRESENTED.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT THEM TO BE EXCITED, UM, ABOUT TECHNOLOGY.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE SETTING UP, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS, UH, ON DOING THE WORKSHOPS THIS YEAR.
AND IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, WE'RE DEVELOPING CURRICULUM THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED PARTICULARLY INTO, UH, THE SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOMS. AND WE ACTUALLY START TO WORK WITH STUDENTS TO SHOW THEM HOW THEY CAN USE THE EXACT SAME TECHNOLOGIES OUR COLLEGE KIDS ARE BEING TRAINED AND EMPLOYED TO USE.
THEY CAN USE THOSE SAME TECHNOLOGIES TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES.
UM, SO THE BASIC USE CASE, UH, IS THAT, UH, WE START OFF BY ASKING STUDENTS ABOUT A PLACE THAT'S SIGNIFICANT TO THEM.
[00:10:01]
AND WE SAY, OKAY, LET'S GO THERE ON GOOGLE MAPS.ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO THERE ON, LET'S GET IN THE STREET VIEW.
IS THAT YOUR PLACE? IS THAT GRANDMA'S HOUSE? OKAY, WELL, HERE'S A HACK FOR SNAPPING THAT 360 IMAGE.
AND THEN WE SAY, OKAY, NOW WE'RE GONNA INTERVIEW YOU ABOUT THAT PLACE.
THEN WE SAY, OKAY, TAKE THESE ASSETS AND WE WANT YOU TO UPLOAD THESE TO THIS FOLDER HERE, AND YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THESE URLS AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU IN THE CODE WHERE YOU HAVE AN IMAGE, UM, UH, UH, UH, PIECE OF IMAGE CONTENT.
UH, YOU HAVE A, SOME VIDEO CONTENT, YOU'RE GONNA REPLACE THE URLS IN THE CODE THERE, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HIT SHOW.
AND THEN SUDDENLY THEY HAVE AN IMMERSIVE APPLICATION ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT THEY HAVE CREATED.
AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS PROVIDES A SCAFFOLDING FOR THESE STUDENTS TO LEARN DIGITAL SKILLS IN CONTEXT WITH WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS FROM THERE.
THEY CAN TAKE THOSE EXACT SAME SKILLS AND STEPS AND APPLY THEM TO ANY PLACE, ANY LOCATION.
THEY MIGHT SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANNA WRITE A SCRIPT, UH, THIS TIME.
UM, HEY, I WANNA DO SOME PHOTOGRAPHY.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THE STUDENTS START TO SORT THEMSELVES IN TERMS OF WHERE, WHAT THEIR INTERESTS ARE, AND THEN START TO LEVERAGE THOSE, UH, TO ENHANCE THEIR DIGITAL SKILLS.
AND THEN WE KEEP MOVING THROUGH THE PIPELINE.
SO START, IT'S K THROUGH EIGHT, WE'LL MOVE TO THE PIPELINE TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHERE WE HAVE CREATIVE MENTORS THAT ARE COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND THEY ARE THERE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE, THESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND THEN HELP THEM TAP INTO THEIR INTEREST TO DEVELOP A DIGITAL PORTFOLIO.
AND BASED ON THAT DIGITAL PORTFOLIO, THAT'S HOW THEY GET HIRED.
AND SO IT GOES BACK INTO THE ACADEMY, AND THEN PEOPLE MATRICULATE OUT OF THE ACADEMY AND INTO THE WORKFORCE INTO ENTREPRENEURIAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S HOW OUR SYSTEM WORKS.
UM, AND WE ARE DOUBLING DOWN ON QUALITY, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, REALLY, UM, FLESHING OUT THE, THE STRUCTURE OF, OF, OF OUR PROGRAMS, UM, AND REALLY, UH, BE BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN AND, AND SCALE WHAT WE DO.
IS THERE ONE MORE? SO OUR PLATFORM IS CALLED WHAT WANTS WAS.ORG OR WOW.
AND IT IS A MIXED REALITY STORYTELLING PROGRAM OR, OR, OR A PLATFORM.
UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT USING, UH, BUILDING COMMUNITY, USING WEB3 0.0, UH, TYPES OF, UH, TECHNOLOGIES.
AND IT'S REALLY MEANT TO FACILITATE IN-PERSON AND REMOTE TOURS OF, UH, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, UM, IMPORTANT LOCATIONS IN THE CITY.
AND IT'S REALLY MADE TO HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY THAT HIDES IN PLAIN SIGHT.
SO, WHY, UM, WELL, WE ARE HIRING AND TRAINING BIPOC YOUTH WHOSE COMMUNITIES ARE DI DISPROPORTIONATELY DISAPPEARING.
WE'RE HIRING AND TRAINING THEM TO TELL, UH, THESE STORIES.
UM, THE, THE STUDENTS, UH, THE YOUNGER STUDENTS ARE ALSO GETTING THAT CULTURAL, UH, COMPETENCY, UH, THAT THEY OFTEN DON'T GET IN OUR CLASSROOMS. UM, AND SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE DOING WELL.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DO THESE THINGS, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS.
AND THIS IS A FLYER FROM THE MOST RECENT THING WE DID FOR A ROOTS AND REALITY SERIES.
SO WE WORKED WITH, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD HERE IN AUSTIN ROGERS WATCHING THE HOLY CROSS, THE FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD IN AUSTIN THAT WAS PLANNED AND BUILT BY BLACK PROFESSIONALS.
SO WE SPENT A YEAR CAPTURING THEIR ORAL HISTORIES AND THEN, UH, CREATING A SERIES OF IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES.
WE HAD AN EVENT, UH, WHERE WE DID, UH, BUS TOURS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, PANEL DISCUSSION.
UM, AND, UH, IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY POWERFUL EVENT.
AND WE ACTUALLY MADE WHAT LOOKED LIKE THESE FANCY REAL ESTATE SIGNS, THE POST TYPE REAL ESTATE SIGNS THAT SAY ROOTS AND REALITIES ON THEM.
AND SO AS PEOPLE GO THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY CAN, UH, SCAN THOSE QR CODES AND GO TO A LANDING PAGE.
AND IF YOU COULD GO TO THE WEBSITE ROOTS AND REALITIES LANDING PAGE.
[00:15:04]
AND SO THIS IS THE LANDING PAGE FOR ROOTS AND REALITIES, AND YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN.UM, WHAT YOU SEE, UH, AS YOU GO DOWN IS YOU SEE THESE ORAL HISTORY, SO FIR SOME OF THE FIRST BLACK FIREFIGHTERS THAT WERE IN AUSTIN, SOME OF THE ORIGINAL TUSKEGEE AIRMEN, UH, SO A LOT OF, LOT RICH, RICH, RICH CULTURAL HISTORY.
SO OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING THAT PRIMARY RESEARCH AND THEN LEVERAGING THOSE SKILLS TO CREATE, UH, THIS CONTENT.
UM, SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO.
UH, YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE SLIDE DECK, UM, IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO PART OF OUR VISION, UM, IS THAT WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, FOR, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN ACTUAL HERITAGE CENTER, BRICK AND MORTAR SPACE.
UH, ROSEWOOD COURTS IS THE FIRST PUBLIC HOUSING FOR BLACK FOLKS IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE LAND WAS TAKEN THROUGH IMMINENT DOMAIN, UM, AND IT IS WHERE THE VERY FIRST JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS TOOK PLACE IN TEXAS, PERIOD.
SO WE, UH, ROSEWOOD COURTS, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS BASICALLY, UM, IS LEVELED THAT AND REBUILT REBUILDING, UH, ROSEWOOD COURTS.
AND SO WE'LL BE HOUSED IN THE WELCOME CENTER THERE.
AND WE'RE REESTABLISHING EMANCIPATION PARK.
AND SO AS A PART OF THIS, WE WILL HAVE AN INTERACTIVE, UM, UH, GENEALOGY CENTER WHERE PEOPLE CAN RECORD THEIR ORAL HISTORIES, WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON THE CURRICULUM, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN DEVELOPING TO, TO BE PLACED IN SCHOOLS.
AND OUR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, WHICH IS CURRENTLY AT 30 IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WILL BE 300 PLUS COLLEGE AGE YOUTH.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT NOT ALL THOSE FOLKS WILL WORK FOR US.
THEY WILL GO AND WORK AT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, UH, CREATIVE ACTION LATINITAS.
AND SO THE IDEA IS HOW DO WE SEED THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM WITH THE CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND THE DIGITAL SKILLS NEEDED FOR OUR STUDENTS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO, TO THRIVE.
UM, AND SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO I'M GONNA FINISH, UH, PULL UP THE VIDEO AND I'VE GOT A 92ND VIDEO, UM, FROM THE DIGITAL STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS THAT WE DID, UM, THAT REALLY DOES A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF SUMMING UP WHAT WE DO.
GIMME A PLAY IF IT'LL LET YOU, WE HAVE SOUND.
UH, UM, YOU CAN TRY SAY TO ME.
IT'S ALWAYS, YOU DON'T ALWAYS CHALLENGE GETTING VIDEOS TO PLAY.
YOU KNOW, I, I I WAFFLED ON WHETHER I SHOULD EVEN BRING THE VIDEO, BUT HEY, LITTLE SIZZLE.
WELL, WHILE WE'RE WAITING ON THAT WHILE YOU'RE GETTING THE VIDEO, OH, YOU'VE GOT IT READY.
UM, YEAH, THAT WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM.
THAT, THAT SOUNDS, THAT SOUNDS AMAZING.
UM, I'M CURIOUS HOW MANY OF, UM, THE FOLKS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAM COME BACK AND, AND VOLUNTEER, UH, THEIR TIME? WELL, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, I MEAN, WE HAVE A NUMBER THAT DO, BUT WE HAVE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN WITH US SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, AND NOW THEY'RE ON OUR PROGRAM OUT STAFF.
UH, SO I WOULD SAY A GOOD THIRD OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HIRE CAME THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. OKAY.
UM, SO WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT'LL START WITH US.
I MEAN, WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT STARTED WITH US IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL MM-HMM.
[00:20:01]
THAT HAVE GONE MATRICULATED ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND NOW GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE.AND NOW THEY'RE, WE ACTUALLY HAD A YOUNG WOMAN, UM, THAT CAME BACK LAST YEAR AND SHE GOT A COMMISSION TO DO A MOSAIC OF JACKIE BENSON, UM, THE ARTIST MM-HMM.
AND SO WE HAD HER COME TO THE EVENT, UM, OUR OUR END OF YEAR EVENT, AND SHE, SHE, UH, SHOWCASED THE, THE WORK THAT SHE DID.
WE HAD JACKIE VINCENT AS OUR, OUR SPECIAL GUEST FOR THAT EVENT.
SO, UM, SO WE HAVE LOTS OF FOLKS THAT ARE COMING BACK AND REALLY BEING GUEST SPEAKERS, UH, PROVIDING EQUIPMENT, UH, MENTORING, UH, THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
AND PART OF THE THING THAT WE'RE, THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT SCALING IS NOW WE'RE GETTING RESOURCES SO THEY CAN REALLY ACTUALLY TRACK YEAH.
WHERE THESE FOLKS ARE AND REALLY START TO ACTIVATE A FULL ALUMNI YEAH.
SO IT'S VERY ANECDOTAL RIGHT NOW, BUT, BUT WE, WE DO HAVE A GOOD NUMBER THAT DO.
I THINK THOSE, THOSE METRICS ARE, ARE GOOD TO SHOWCASE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND ONE OTHER THING FROM, FROM MY END, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHEN THE NEXT EVENT IS, I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE GONE, UH, TO THE OCTOBER EVENT, HAD I NOT ABOUT IT.
SO YOU'LL HAVE TO PROMISE TO INVITE NOAH MYSELF, BUT THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, TO THE NEXT ONE, I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JUST UPSKILL MYSELF SURE.
IN THE BLACK HISTORY OF AUSTIN.
LOOKING, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND WE'LL BE DOING SOME, PARTICULARLY IN THE SPRING, WE'LL BE DOING SOME ACTIVATIONS WITH THE CREATIVE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
UM, AND SO WE'LL INVITE, UH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO MM-HMM.
DO WE WANNA PLAY THE VIDEO AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OTHER COMMISSIONERS? SURE.
UH, WHO MIGHT HAVE QUESTIONS? THIS WAS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO IOR YOUTH.
MY KIDS HAVE BEEN EXCITED ALL WEEK.
WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDDOS ON OUR CAMPUS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN TECH AND TECH CAREERS AND DON'T REALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE EXPOSED TO THOSE DIFFERENT CAREER FIELDS.
SO THIS WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY TRY AGAIN.
THE NUMBER ONE THING I THINK THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN OUT OF IT AND MY STUDENTS HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF IT, IS JUST KIND OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE.
I'M LOOKING AROUND AND I SEE SMILES, I SEE ENGAGEMENT.
I SEE STUDENTS WHO NORMALLY WOULD, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEIR HEADS DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE KIND OF PULLING TEETH TO TRY TO GET THEM TO ENGAGE WITH THE, THE HISTORY.
AND THEY ARE CLEARLY ENGAGED, UM, AND MAKING CONNECTIONS LIKE TO THEIR OWN LIVES, SEEING SPACES AND PLACES WHERE, LIKE, I WALK PAST HERE ALL THE TIME, OR, YOU KNOW, MY, MY SIBLING GOES TO SCHOOL ACROSS THE STREET FROM HERE.
SO IT'S BEEN REALLY OUTSTANDING.
I GOT TO TALK TO SEVERAL STUDENTS WHO WERE WORKING ON THEIR PHOTO ESSAYS AND TELLING THEIR STORIES BEHIND IT, AND REALLY HEARING ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY LOVED WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS REALLY MEANINGFUL FOR ME.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY E FOUR YOUTH IS SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IT BRINGS THAT STUFF TO LIFE.
E FOUR U FOR COMING OUT AND SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE OF AUSTIN AND EAST AUSTIN AND BLACK HISTORY WITH OUR SCHOLARS.
UM, WITH THAT, I SEE COMMISSIONER DES GUPTA MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT.
UM, I WANNA FIRST THANK YOU FOR THIS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC PRESENTATION.
AND I REPEAT CHAIR AKA'S, UH, REQUEST THAT THE NEXT EVENT I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO ATTEND.
UH, I HAPPEN TO BE READING A BOOK CALLED NEXUS, UH, BY VALARI.
UM, IT'S A FAIRLY WELL KNOWN BOOK, AND HERE HE TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF STORYTELLING.
IN COMMUNITY BUILDING, BOTH ORAL HISTORY, ORAL, ORAL, UH, STORYTELLING, AS WELL AS, AS THEY PROGRESSED, AS COMMUNITIES GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER.
AND WITH WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, IT GREW EVEN FASTER.
SO WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS REALLY ALSO ABOUT, ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY BUILDING, UH, PRIDE IN ONE'S HISTORY, AND ALSO PRIDE IN THE PROGRESS THAT YOU HOPE TO MAKE.
UH, I HOPE, UH, YOU'VE GOT K THROUGH 24.
I HOPE YOU'LL GO FROM K TO A HUNDRED
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY POWERFUL THE CONNECTIONS THAT WE HAVE SEEN MADE BETWEEN OUR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THE OLDER ADULTS THAT THEY CONNECTED WITH AND INTERVIEWED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEIR FRIENDS, LIKE, THEY MIGHT EVEN HANG OUT
[00:25:01]
KNOW.UH, SO WE REALLY DO THINK THAT IT'S A, A MULTI-GENERATIONAL, UH, TYPE OF, OF PROJECT.
AND SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY POWERFUL WHEN WE WERE DOING, UM, THIS, UH, DOING THIS, UH, PANEL DISCUSSION WITH SOME OF THE OLDER RESIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, IT TOOK THEM FIVE YEARS TO GET THEIR HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
AND WHAT WAS POWERFUL WAS, IS THAT SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, UM, ALL WE HAD TO DO IS JUST TELL OUR STORY, AND THAT WAS ENOUGH.
AND I THINK THAT SO OFTEN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE DEAL WITH ARE TAUGHT TO DISCOUNT THEIR STORIES AND NOT THINK THAT THEIR STORIES ARE IMPORTANT OR ENOUGH, OR ARE RELEVANT.
AND THAT IS PART OF WHY WE DON'T FEEL EMPOWERED OR SEEN OR HEARD.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M ACTUALLY PART OF A NATIONAL COALITION OF NONPROFITS.
WE HAVE THE CULTURAL IQ COALITION, AND THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS WHEN PEOPLE FEEL, FEEL, SEEN, AND HEARD THEIR HEALTH, WEALTH, AND EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, UH, IMPROVE.
SO THAT'S BEEN A VERY, VERY INTENTIONAL PART OF, OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS PROVIDING YOUNG PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR WITH THAT CONTEXT, UH, THAT THEIR STORIES DO MATTER.
UM, AND SO, UH, I I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, UH, POINTED THAT OUT.
THERE'S ONE OTHER COMMENT I WANT TO MAKE.
HISTORICALLY, HISTORY HAS ALWAYS BEEN WRITTEN BY THE VICTOR IN A WAR THAT GLOSSED OVER THE CRIMES OF THE VICTOR AND ACCENTUATED THE CRIMES OF THE, OF THE, THE VICTIM.
UH, HERE BY ENGAGING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IN STORYTELLING AND HISTORY BUILDING, IT'S ALSO A WAY OF HISTORY BUILDING.
YOU ARE ACTUALLY CREATING HISTORY IN A TRUTHFUL MANNER.
YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE ARE AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY WHERE WE BECOME DOUBTFUL IF THE TRUTH ACTUALLY MATTERS.
UM, AND IT ABSOLUTELY MATTERS TO ME.
AND I THINK IT ABSOLUTELY MATTERS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HOLD OURSELVES TO A HIGHER STANDARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT JUST BE, IT CAN'T BE JUST 'CAUSE YOU FEEL THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT HISTORY, WE HAVE TO REALLY, REALLY BE, UM, HONEST AND FORTHRIGHT ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A, A TOOL THAT WE CAN USE TO BRING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AROUND THE ACTUAL TRUTH.
UM, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA UN GENTRIFY THIS CITY, BUT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN A MORE EQUITABLE WAY TOGETHER.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND THE TIME, UH, THAT YOU TOOK COMING DOWN HERE TO SEE US THIS EVENING.
IT WAS, IT WAS WORTH THE, UH, 30 MINUTE WAIT IN THE QUEUE ON THE BLOCK
UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL, UM, FOR FUNDING US, UH, OVER THE YEARS.
IT'S, IT'S MADE A HUGE, UH, DIFFERENCE, UH, FOR US, UH, AS, AS AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES Y'ALL DON'T GET CREDIT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JUST WANT TO KIND OF COMPLAIN OR, YOU KNOW, SAY WHAT THEY DIDN'T GET.
UM, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, IT'S NOT LIKE Y'ALL ARE GETTING PAID THE BIG BUCKS, RIGHT.
AND IN PARTICULARLY FOR THE, THE, THE PEOPLE ON THE, ON THE COMMISSION THAT ARE NOT GETTING PAID, THAT ARE JUST VOLUNTEERS.
UM, SO I'M TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT, AND I'M GOING TO, I'M MAKING A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO BE MORE FRONT AND CENTER, UM, AND ALSO TO REACH OUT, UH, TO FOLKS THAT, TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS, SO THAT YOU ALL REALLY, TRULY ARE UP TO SPEED ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE, UH, AT LEAST FOR THIS ENTIRE YEAR, WE'VE INVITED YOU.
WE'VE INVITED OTHER G OS RECIPIENTS.
UM, NOT ONLY IS IT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU ALL TO SHOWCASE YOUR WORK, BUT FOR SOME NEWER COMMISSIONERS, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE EFFECT THAT THIS COMMISSION THAT TARA NOW EDD, UH, IS HAVING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
WELL, THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION,
AND, UH, WITH THAT WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT,
[3. Presentation on Austin Free-Net’s Digital Inclusion Week Celebration event, Tech For All Fest, (Jess Ross, CEO, Austin Free-Net)]
UH, ITEM, OUR NEXT GUEST SPEAKER, UH, JESS ROSS[00:30:01]
FROM AUSTIN FREENET.JESS, I THINK YOU CAN SIT AT ANY OF THE YEP.
JESS, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN FREENET.
UM, AND I'M GONNA BE TALKING TODAY ABOUT DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK AND, UH, TECH FOR ALL FEST.
UM, I WAS HONORED TO BE A CO-CHAIR FOR, UH, THE DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK COMMITTEE FOR THE NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE, UH, FOR MY SECOND YEAR, UH, THIS PAST YEAR.
AND OUR THEME WAS, UM, STRONGER TOGETHER.
SO WE REALLY HAD AN EMPHASIS ON COLLABORATION THROUGHOUT DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK, AND OBVIOUSLY THE CLOSING CEREMONY FOR AUSTIN, BEING TECH FOR ALL, FOR TECH FOR ALL FEST.
UM, DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK IS A WEEK WHERE WE HAVE HIGHLIGHT AND SPOTLIGHTS ON ALL DIGITAL INCLUSION EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WE, UM, SUPPORT OUR, OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE, UM, GOODWILL AND OTHER, OTHER GRASSROOTS, UM, NONPROFITS THAT SPECIALIZE IN DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE WEEK, WE CELEBRATE, UH, TECH FOR ALL FEST.
THIS WOULD BE OUR THIRD ANNUAL TECH FOR ALL FEST.
AND IT REALLY IS JUST A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY AND TECHNOLOGY AND RESOURCES.
UM, I STARTED IT IN MY THIRD YEAR, UM, AS THE OFFICIAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
AND I REALLY, UM, WANTED TO HARKEN IT BACK TO ONY NET'S.
UH, NOTHING BUT FREENET THAT SHE PRODUCED IN THE NINETIES.
UM, IF YOU AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH AUSTIN FREENET, UM, WE TURN 30 YEARS NEXT YEAR, AND SO 30 YEARS IN DIGITAL INCLUSION.
AND I WANTED IT TO BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT WAS MULTI-GENERATIONAL, UM, MULTILINGUAL, AND, UM, SHOWCASED ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WERE AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, SO THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAD IT, WE HAD IT AT KENNY DORMS ON, UH, 11TH ON THE EAST SIDE.
THE SECOND YEAR THAT WE HAD IT, WE HAD IT AT EAST SIDE HIGH.
AND THEN THIS YEAR WE DECIDED TO HAVE IT ON OUR HOME BASE, WHICH WAS IS THE DEWEY CENTER ON ROSEWOOD AVENUE.
UH, WE PARTNERED WITH AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY, AND WE USED BOTH BUILDINGS, THE DEWITTE BUILDING AND THE AUSTIN PUBLIC BUILDING.
WE OPENED THEM UP TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE HAD LIVE MUSIC GAMES, UH, LOTS OF INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT EVERYBODY COULD, UM, COME AND PLAY WITH.
I ACTUALLY WENT INTO AUSTIN PUBLIC STUDIOS.
THEY HAD A WHOLE GAME SHOW SET UP, AND SO THEY WERE ASKING DIGITAL QUESTIONS, TRIVIA QUESTIONS, UM, BUT IT REALLY JUST GAVE ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND SEE ALL THESE WONDERFUL RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS YEAR WE HAD OVER 350 RESIDENTS PARTICIPATE, WHICH IS AMAZING, CONSIDERING IT'S AN ACL WEEKEND.
UM, AND WE GAVE OVER $10,000 WORTH OF PRIZES.
THESE ARE LAPTOPS, BRAND NEW LAPTOPS AND OTHER DEVICES TO HELP PEOPLE ALONG.
UM, WE ALSO HAD, UM, 15 LOCAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING GOODWILL, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, MISMA AND TEXAS FOOD BANK, WHO DONATED WHAT WAS LIKE 1700 POUNDS OF PRODUCE TO THE EVENT.
SO WE GAVE AWAY FREE GROCERIES AS WELL.
UM, ANYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED WAS ABLE TO GO INTO AUSTIN PUBLIC AND GET A FREE HEADSHOT, AND WE REALLY JUST TRIED TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S SO MUCH VALUE, THERE'S SO MANY RESOURCES RIGHT HERE, RIGHT AT YOUR DOORSTEP.
UM, THE LAST LAPTOP THAT WAS ONE OF THE NIGHT WAS ACTUALLY ONE BY ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO LIVES DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR BUILDING.
NEVER ENTERED THE BUILDING, NEVER KNEW ANY OF THE RESOURCES THAT WERE THERE, BUT HEARD THE MUSIC BECAUSE WE DO HAVE LIVE MUSIC, UM, FOR THE EVENT, AND DECIDED TO WALK ON OVER AND WENT HOME WITH A, A LAPTOP.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT TECH FOR ALL FEST.
IT IS WILL BE A FOURTH ANNUAL FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, AS FAR AS IT GOES ON A DIGITAL SCALE, IT IS A TRAILBLAZING EVENT.
ANYTIME I DISCUSS IT WITHIN, UM, NDIA, THE NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE, I ALWAYS GET STOPPED.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS FESTIVAL? HOW DO YOU GET THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE? HOW CAN, HOW CAN WE THROW OUR OWN FESTIVAL? AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS BECAUSE IN WORKING WITHIN NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE, IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT AUSTIN FREENET HAS AN ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND YOU GUYS WORK REALLY WELL WITH US AND ALLOW US TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS.
UM, SO WE WORK WITH OTHER CITIES AND GIVE THEM ADVICE ON HOW TO HAVE A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR CITY GOVERNMENT SO THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT AUSTIN FREENET JUST TRAIL BLAZES ALONG THE WAY.
SO, UM, I THINK I'VE TALKED AND YAPPED ENOUGH,
WELL, THANKS SO MUCH, JESS, UH, FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY,
[00:35:01]
THANK YOU FOR, UH, CONTINUING TO ENSURE TECH FOR ALL FEST IS, UH, A WONDERFUL EVENT ON A YEARLY BASIS.UM, I GUESS THE, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO, TO, TO SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION, THESE EVENTS, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S BIGGER AND BETTER REACHING, UH, MORE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY EVERY YEAR? YEAH.
I DID ASK MY TEAM, I SAID, I'M GONNA BE HERE TONIGHT.
I'M GONNA BE TALKING TO SOME IMPORTANT PEOPLE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY ON BEHALF OF THE TEAM? AND I THINK THAT THEIR GENERAL MESSAGE WAS THEY WANTED MORE PARTICIPATION FROM THE CITY.
SO THEY'D LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF THE, UM, CHAIRS TO COME OUT AND, UH, VISIT US OUR NEXT TECH FOR ALL FEST AND SEE WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT.
AND, UM, MORE PARTICIPATION IN DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK IN GENERAL WITH AN EMPHASIS ON MULTI-GENERATIONAL AND MULTILINGUAL EVENTS, BECAUSE WE DO SEE THAT THOSE REALLY DO BRING OUT PEOPLE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, UM, THAT REALLY MAKES CHANGES FOR EVERYBODY.
YEAH, THOSE ARE GREAT CALLOUTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO SHOWCASE AND ENGAGE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL, THE COMMISSION ON AGING, UH, THE, UH, UH, HISPANIC QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION.
UM, AND THERE'S, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHERS.
SO, UH, I'M HA YOU KNOW, ANY OF US ARE HAPPY TO HELP YOU MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS OR INTRODUCTIONS AS WE KNOW THOSE, I WOULD SAY ABSOLUTELY.
AND THEN LASTLY, IF ANYBODY ON THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT AUSTIN FREENET, I HAVE A TOUR THAT I WILL GIVE YOU FOR FREE
UM, AND WE CAN TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE BUILDING.
YOU GET TO SEE ALL THE MAGIC THAT HAPPENS, ME TELLING YOU ABOUT IT, AND SHOWING PICTURES AND FOOTAGE IS WAY DIFFERENT THAN YOU ACTUALLY COMING IN AND SEEING THE SPACE.
UM, UH, CHAIR APODACA WAS AT TECH CRAWL FEST, AND I LIKE RAN INTO HIM IN THE HALLWAYS, AND IT WAS JUST REALLY GREAT TO SEE HIM SEE THE MAGIC.
SO, ANYTIME, UH, ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED, I INVITE YOU TO THE DEITY TO SEE, UH, THE MAGIC HAPPEN FOR YOURSELF.
MAYBE THAT CAN, UM, I'LL TAKE THAT AS AN ACTION ITEM,
HOW DOES THAT SOUND? YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT, AT THE DEITY AND ITS MAGIC.
SO, UM, I'LL BE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU GUYS.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, JESS.
APPRECIATE YOU, UH, TAKING THE TIME AND COMING DOWN HERE IN PERSON.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.
SO, UH, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO, UH,
[4. Discussion and approval of possible after action following the Audit and Finance’s decision regarding the updated CTTC bylaws.]
OUR NEXT ITEM.AND THAT'S, UH, DISCUSSION OF, UM, THE AUDIT AND FINANCES COMMISSION REGARDING, UH, DECISION REGARDING THE CTTC BYLAWS.
SO, IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, UH, WE PASSED, UH, REVISIONS TO OUR BYLAWS AT OUR OCTOBER MEETING.
UM, I, UH, HAD THE, UH, THE FORTUNE TO, UH, ATTEND THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON TUESDAY EARLIER THIS WEEK.
UM, SO I SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE, UM, THE CHANGES, UH, EXPLAINED, UH, SORT OF THE BACKGROUND ON, UM, OUR, UH, OUR REASONING BEHIND WANTING TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
AND, UM, UH, COACH ON HARMON WAS THERE AS WELL, UH, TO SPEAK ON SOME OF THE TECHNICAL DETAILS.
UM, BUT HAPPY TO SAY THAT THAT WAS, UH, APPROVED BY THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE.
SO I BELIEVE THE NEXT STEP, UH, WOULD BE FOR THAT TO GO TO THE FULL, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
UH, I BELIEVE IT, IT MIGHT TAKE A MEETING OR TWO TO, UH, FOR THAT TO APPEAR ON THE AGENDA.
UM, BUT WOULD, UH, HIGHLY ENCOURAGE ANY, UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO, UH, TO TRY TO ATTEND THAT COUNCIL MEETING AND SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF, UH, THE REVISIONS TO THE BYLAWS SINCE WE DID VOTE UNANIMOUS UNANIMOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF THOSE.
UH, I SEE, UH, KOAN DID COME ON, SO I WILL, UH, GIVE HER JUST A MOMENT TO ADD ANYTHING I MAY HAVE MISSED.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, AKA GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, BUT, UH, HAPPY TO BE HERE AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION.
AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK ON THIS ITEM ON THE BACKEND TON.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THIS? YES, COMMISSIONER JA GUPTA.
YEAH, I CALLED IN FROM HOME, UH, BECAUSE I HAD TO BE HOME 'CAUSE OF SOME REPAIR WORK GOING ON, BUT I CALLED IN AND JUST WANTED TO COMPLIMENT ON THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU MADE WAS VERY SMOOTH AND ALSO COMPLIMENT KOTTON'S, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPPORT FOR IT.
AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
[00:40:03]
WELL, THANKS TO YOU AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO, UM, HELPED PROVIDE EDITS AS WELL AS TO DAN AND JESSE WHO WERE INVOLVED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT.SO, UM, YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE ON, UH, WHICH COUNCIL MEETING, UH, THAT WILL APPEAR ON.
UM, BUT WE'LL LET THE, UM, THE REST OF THE COMMISSION KNOW.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET IT BEFORE THIS COUNCIL TURNS OVER.
[5. Approval of a working group focused on reduction of duplicative technologies within the city system]
MOVE TO, UH, ITEM FIVE, THE, UH, POTENTIAL APPROVAL OF A WORKING GROUP FOCUSED ON THE REDUCTION DUPLICATIVE TECHNOLOGIES WITHIN THE CITY SYSTEM.UM, SO IF YOU ALL REMEMBER THIS CAME UP, UH, LAST MEETING, UH, RELATED TO THE, UH, THE GRANT SYSTEM THAT WAS BEING MIGRATED.
SO, UH, AGAIN, WANT TO THANK DAN AND JESSE FOR ALL THEIR WORK BEHIND THE SCENES.
UM, I KNOW MIGRATING TO, TO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND, AND, UH, DOING ALL OF THE TASK BASED WORK OF, OF DATA ENTRY IS, IS VERY THANKLESS.
UM, BUT, UM, UNDERSTAND IT, IT HAS TO BE DONE.
UM, UH, AND THEN AROUND THAT ITEM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COMMISSION IS CERTAINLY, UH, LOOKS FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO STREAMLINE, UH, DIFFERENT SYSTEMS THAT MIGHT BE DUPLICATIVE IN NATURE.
UH, SO WE WOULD VALUE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO PROVIDE INPUT, INSIGHT GIVEN ALL OF OUR SUBJECT MATTER, UH, EXPERTISE IN THAT AREA.
UM, I DO KNOW, LIKE RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC ITEM, UH, UH, EDD LEADERSHIP HAS, UH, UH, WILL BE MEETING WITH, UH, MYSELF AND A SUB QUORUM OF COMMISSIONERS TO, UH, TO BRIEF US ON, UH, THAT EFFORT AS WELL AS LIKE, POTENTIALLY ANY OTHER EFFORTS AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE SORT OF A SIMILAR, UH, MEETING THAT, UH, OR BRIEFING THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN JANUARY RELATED TO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE REDESIGN.
UH, SO I DO THINK SOME OF THESE ITEMS ARE KIND OF CONNECTED IN NATURE, UH, BUT WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO THE REST OF COMMISSION MEMBERS TO, UH, TO COMMENT AS WELL.
I SEEM TO BE THE FIRST ONE ALWAYS WITH MY HAND UP, AND I'LL TRY NOT TO DO THAT NEXT TIME.
UH, SO I THINK AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, AND THIS RELATES TO MY EXPERIENCE IN THE IT INDUSTRY, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ED DIDN'T NEED A NEW SYSTEM, BUT I THINK PRE PRINCIPALLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD AS A CITY, ANYTIME THERE'S A NEED FOR A NEW SYSTEM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, YOU KNOW, APPLY A BROOM AND CLEAN OUT ALL KINDS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, GARBAGE THAT COLLECTS IN SYSTEMS AS THEY GET OLDER WHEN WE GO TO A NEW SYSTEM, WHICH SHOULD BE ARCHITECTED.
AND THAT'S WHY CTM SHOULD PROVIDE THE LEADERSHIP THAT THEY SHOULD ARCHITECT A SOLUTION THAT IS NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY MEANT FOR ONE DIVISION, BUT SHOULD BE ADDRESSING, OR AT LEAST ARCHITECTURALLY BUILT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAN BE EXPANDED SO THAT OTHER DIVISIONS CAN MIGRATE TO IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT LEADS TO CONVERGENCE.
THAT'S WHAT LEADS TO, UH, SAVINGS IN TRAINING TIME AND DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT IN TRAINING AND ALSO DISRUPTIONS THAT ARE, THAT, THAT HAPPEN WHEN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AND SUBSYSTEMS EXIST ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE THAT I WANT TO ADDRESS.
AND, UH, WE GET PART OF THE RECORD OF THIS COMMISSION.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE DID COMMIT TO DOING IS STANDING UP A, UH, A SMALLER WORKING GROUP TO FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THIS ITEM, UH, TO MEET WITH EDD LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS ANY OTHER EXECUTIVE LEADERS, UM, TO ENGAGE ON, ON THIS OFFLINE.
UH, I KNOW COMMISSIONER DESTA EXPRESSED INTEREST IN STANDING UP THIS WORKING GROUP.
I'M INTERESTED IN, UM, ENGAGING MYSELF, WONDERING, UM, IF ANY OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONERS ARE BEING, ARE INVOLVED, UH, INTERESTED IN BEING INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT AS WELL.
WELL, UH, IF YOU ALL CHANGE YOUR MIND, WE CAN, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY, UH, MAKE YOU PART OF THE GROUP AT A LATER DATE.
UH, BUT IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD, WE, SO WE DID COMMIT TO, UH, STANDING UP, UH, A, UH, FORMAL WORKING GROUP IN THIS ITEM.
SO, UH, I WILL, UH, LOOK FOR A MOTION TO STAND UP, A WORKING GROUP FOCUSED, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON, UH, IDENTIFICATION AND RECOMMENDATION OF DUPLICATIVE TECHNOLOGIES WITHIN THE CITY SYSTEM.
UH, SO RIGHT NOW, THE MEMBERSHIP OF THAT GROUP WOULD BE MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER DESTA.
UH, SO WE'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION TO, UH, TO STAND THAT UP.
I MAKE THE MOTION FOR THAT WORKING GROUP EXACTLY
[00:45:01]
THE WAY YOU DESCRIBED IT IS THIS, SUZANNE.UH, SO, UH, MOTION, UH, PUT FORTH BY COMMISSIONER DE GUPTA, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HERITAGE.
I'LL JUST GIVE ANOTHER COUPLE MOMENTS FOR COMMISSIONERS TO COME ON TO CAMERA.
I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, SUPPORTING STANDING UP THE WORKING GROUP AS DESCRIBED.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? ANYONE AGAINST? OKAY.
I BELIEVE, UH, WE CAUGHT A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE WORKING GROUP.
SO WE WILL, UH, STAND UP THAT WORKING GROUP, COMMISSIONER DE GUPTA AND I, UH, WILL MEET WITH SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE, UH, DESCRIBED A LITTLE WHILE AGO, AND THEN, UH, REPORT BACK TO THE COMMISSION ON, UH, OUR PROGRESS AS WELL AS, UM, LOOK TO TARGET THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UH, UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THEN WITH THAT, MOVING RIGHT ALONG,
[6. Approval of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission’s meeting schedule for 2025]
UH, TO OUR SIXTH AGENDA ITEM, UH, APPROVAL OF OUR MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2025.UM, SO THIS WAS THE CRITICAL ITEM I KNOW I HAD, UH, UM, COMMUNICATED WITH, WITH MANY OF YOU, UM, THAT WE NEEDED TO, TO CLOSE OUT TODAY.
UM, MAYBE WE COULD JUST TAKE A FEW MOMENTS, DAN OR JESSE, I DUNNO, IF YOU WANNA WALK US THROUGH THE, UH, THE PROPOSED, UH, MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2025.
I'D LOVE TO WALK EVERYBODY THROUGH IT.
SO, UH, YOU SHOULD SEE THAT FILE ON YOUR CALENDAR HOLD.
UM, BUT I CAN JUST, UH, WALK US THROUGH IT, TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, AT THE VERY TOP, IT SAYS THAT, UH, THIS COMMISSION MEETS ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH FOR THOSE WHO HAVE YET TO NOTICE.
UM, BUT JANUARY 8TH WOULD BE OUR FIRST MEETING.
UM, AND THEN FEBRUARY 12TH WOULD BE OUR FIRST MEETING WITH ANY ACTIONABLE, UM, EVENTS GOING ON THAT DAY.
UH, FOR THIS DAY, UH, UH, FOR ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE SERVED A TERM, THIS WILL COMPLETE YOUR FIRST FULL TERM, UM, OR HOWEVER MANY NTH TERM THAT YOU'RE ON.
UM, SO, UH, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ON TOP OF, UH, LOOKING FOR REAPPOINTMENT.
UM, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NUANCE OF THAT IS, BUT I'LL SEND OUT A BLAST TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS TO REMIND THEM, UH, THAT, UH, DURING THIS SEASON, UM, IF, UH, YOU MAY NEED TO, UH, REQUEST REAPPOINTMENT BY YOUR ASSIGNING COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND THEN THAT MOVES US TO MARCH 12TH.
UM, THIS MEETING, UH, HISTORICALLY HAS HAPPENED OUTSIDE OF THE CITY DUE TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
AND THERE BEING A LOT OF TRAFFIC IN, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AREA DURING THIS WEEK.
UH, WE'LL PROBABLY TRY TO DO THE SAME, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, BUT OR THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
BUT THIS PAST YEAR, WE ALSO HELD IT HERE, UH, AT CITY HALL, AND NO REAL INTERRUPTIONS AND THINGS WENT SMOOTHLY.
UM, BUT THIS IS ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT TIME FOR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CRUNCH THAT THE COMMISSION HAS OF THE WHOLE YEAR IS THIS MONTH.
UM, AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OTHERWISE, UH, YOU WON'T HAVE THAT SORT OF INPUT, UH, INTO THE FINAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS BY, UH, COUNCIL.
UM, SO I, I WOULD HONESTLY SUGGEST START STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THOSE BUDGET REQUESTS, UH, SOMETIME IN JANUARY, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, REFLECTING ON, UH, THE PAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND, UH, HOW THOSE DOLLARS COULD HAVE BEEN USED MORE EFFECTIVELY.
UM, SO YEAH, WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE IN, UH, NO LATER THAN MID-APRIL.
UH, BUT DURING OUR MARCH, UH, MEETING IS WHEN WE WOULD HOPEFULLY, UM, TALK ABOUT IT FIRST, OPEN UP THE FLOOR OR POSSIBLY APPROVE THEM IF A LOT OF THE WORK HAPPENS, UH, OFFLINE AT A WORKING GROUP.
AND THEN APRIL 9TH IS WHEN THOSE, UH, UH, IS WHEN OUR G OS AWARDS ARE ANNOUNCED.
UM, SO, UH, GTOP SI KNOW I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT, ALMOST EVERY MEETING FEELS LIKE, UM, BUT IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST IMPACT THAT THIS COMMISSION DIRECTLY HAS, UM, ON THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS ME AND JESSE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, IT'S, IT'S THE BIGGEST PROJECT THAT WE DO OVER THE YEAR.
UM, AND, UH, THAT IN APRIL IS WHEN WE'LL HAVE OUR, OUR AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMMISSION AND WE'LL SEEK APPROVAL.
UM, IT'LL BE REALLY INTERESTING, UM, BUT ALSO THAT IS WHEN OUR ELECTION OF OFFICERS IS.
SO IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT MONTH.
UH, APRIL 9TH, UM, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER ELECTION, UH, FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
AND THEN ON MAY 14TH, UM, AS YOU
[00:50:01]
CAN SEE RIGHT HERE, IT SAYS WORK PLAN RETREAT.UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE THIS YEAR FOR, UH, THOSE ON THE CALL.
UM, JUST A LOT OF THINGS WERE IN THE AIR.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIND OUR FOOTING AFTER, UH, THE ELECTION CYCLE AS WELL AS A, UH, OR THE, THE COMMISSIONER ELECTION CYCLE, AS WELL AS A FEW OTHER DETAILS THAT WE NEEDED IRONING OUT.
UH, BUT USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS WORK PLAN RETREAT IS THAT THE COMMISSION GETS TOGETHER AND THINKS ABOUT A PLAN OF, UH, AND INTENTIONS OF WHAT, UH, THEY HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE UPCOMING CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THE NEW TERMS FOR THE, UH, ELECTED OFFICERS WOULD START THAT, UH, SAME TIME.
AND THEN IN JUNE, UH, THIS IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, THE ANNUAL REPORT IS DUE TO THE CITY CLERK.
UM, HISTORICALLY, THE CHAIR HAS KIND OF TACKLED THIS INITIATIVE ALONE, BUT THIS YEAR APODACA GOT HELP FROM THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A WONDERFUL REPORT.
UH, SO YES, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THAT TURNED INTO THE CLERK BY JULY 31ST.
UM, AND, UH, IT JUST SERVES TO SHOW, UH, WHAT THE COMMISSION HAS ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, AS WELL AS, OR WHAT THEY FAILED TO ACCOMPLISH, AS WELL AS ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE GATHERED AND HOW THAT INFORMATION MAY TRANSLATE INTO THE UPCOMING YEARS, UH, WORK.
AND THEN JULY 9TH, AUGUST 13TH, PRETTY, UH, LIGHT LOAD.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC TIED TO THOSE MONTHS YET, UM, OR AT LEAST NOTHING ACTIONABLE.
UM, BUT THEN IN SEPTEMBER 10TH, UH, IS WHEN, UH, JESSE AND I, UH, WOULD PRESENT OUR GTOP OS ACTION PLAN.
UM, THIS WOULD BE A, UH, IF, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER AT OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, WE ACTUALLY HAD THAT IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, UH, ME AND JESSE GO OVER ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WISH TO IMPLEMENT FOR, UH, FY 26, UH, ALL BASED OFF DATA AND ANECDOTES THAT WE'VE COLLECTED THROUGHOUT A WHOLE CALENDAR YEAR OF GT TOPS AND THEN INTO OCTOBER 8TH.
THIS IS NOT, UH, AN ACTIONABLE ITEM BY THE COMMISSION, BUT WE DID WANNA REMIND YOU OF DIGITAL INCLUSION WEEK.
UM, HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE A LOT OF EVENTS GOING AROUND IN THE CITY.
UM, AND WE'D LOVE IF YOU'D PARTICIPATE SUCH AS, UH, JESS ROSS'S, UH, TECH FOR ALL FEST.
UM, BUT, UH, WE, THE ONLY CHANGE THAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS CALENDAR FROM, UH, THE LAST YEAR IS THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO MOVE UP THE ADOPTION OF A MEETING SCHEDULE FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
SO LAST YEAR, AND THIS YEAR, IT'S HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT IT.
BUT, UH, WE MOVED IT UP TO OCTOBER JUST BECAUSE THAT GIVES US A LOT OF LEEWAY IN CASE WE AREN'T ABLE TO MAKE A MEETING IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
UM, IT GIVES US AN EXTRA MONTH TO, UH, FIGURE THIS OUT AND LOCK IT IN, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS IN BY THE END OF THE MONTH, UH, OUR ROOM RESERVATION FOR CITY HALL, UH, PROBABLY WOULDN'T STAND.
AND THAT WOULD CREATE A LOT OF, UH, SCHEDULING CHALLENGES FOR US.
SO WE MOVED IT UP A MONTH JUST TO BE SAFE NEXT YEAR.
UM, THIS YEAR, THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN GREAT ABOUT ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION, SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT BEING AN ISSUE, BUT WE JUST WANNA THINK, UM, WITH FORESIGHT.
AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, UH, DECEMBER, UH, WE WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING, UH, AGAIN, UH, 2024.
SO THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE, UH, DID NOT, WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING IN DECEMBER.
HISTORICALLY, THAT HAS HAPPENED IN AUGUST.
UM, BUT, UH, SINCE EVERYONE'S ON THE HOLIDAYS AND HAS A LOT OF, UH, OUTSIDE THINGS GOING ON, UH, YOU KNOW, CHAIR APODACA LAST YEAR HELPED PUSH THAT INITIATIVE TO MOVE THE OFF MONTH TO DECEMBER.
SO WE WON'T MEET NEXT MONTH, JUST AS A REMINDER.
UM, BUT THEN WE, WE PICK UP AGAIN IN JANUARY.
UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
YEAH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT.
UH, DAN, UM, YEAH, THE OTHER, I THINK CHANGE WAS, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THE MAY MEETING IS MOVED BACK TO THE SECOND WEEK.
SO THAT, I THINK LAST YEAR THAT FELL ON NA, THE NET INCLUSION CONFERENCE.
UM, WE SHOULD ACTUALLY SEND OUT INFORMATION TO THE COMMISSIONERS ON THAT, AND THAT'S GONNA BE BETWEEN THE 20TH AND 22ND.
RIGHT? SO THIS SECOND YEAR, ARE THEY ALL GOING TO THAT BY THE WAY? YEAH, WE'LL BE THERE.
SO, UM, I JUST TO COMMENT ON THAT REAL QUICK.
UM, LAST YEAR WE HAD TO MOVE THAT, UM, THE, I, I THINK LAST YEAR WAS IN MARCH, ACTUALLY, OR IN FEBRUARY.
SO WE HAD TO MOVE OUR FEBRUARY MEETING.
UM, BUT THIS YEAR, UH, LUCKILY THEY PLANNED IT, UM, AT A TIME THAT, UH, WE WILL ALL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AS WELL AS, UH, BE AT THE CTTC MEETING THAT MONTH.
UM, SO I'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL BLAST ABOUT THIS CONFERENCE.
UH, IT'S THE, A YEARLY CONFERENCE BY THE NATIONAL, UH, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE? UM, THE CONFERENCE IS CALLED NET INCLUSION.
UM, IT'S A BIG CONFERENCE FROM ALL THE OTHER DIGITAL EQUITY OFFICES FROM THROUGHOUT, UH, THE UNITED STATES.
UM, AND, UH, THERE'S LOTS OF PANELS AND LOTS OF LEARNING AS WELL AS, UH, UH, YOU DON'T WANNA MISS THE NATION'S PREMIER DIGITAL INCLUSION
[00:55:01]
CONFERENCE, UH, FROM MAY 20TH TO THE 22ND.UM, AND IT'LL BE, UH, JUST OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX THIS YEAR.
UM, SO I'LL SEND OUT A BLAST WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION, UM, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, A SUB QUORUM OF YOU ALL COULD JOIN US THERE.
IT, IT'S SUPER INFORMATIVE AND CHAIR ACA ATTENDED LAST YEAR, SO YOU COULD PROBABLY OFFER SOME MORE INSIGHTS ON WHAT THAT'S LIKE AS A COMMISSIONER.
I'VE ATTENDED THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, UM, ALONG WITH FORMER CHAIR PITTS, BUT, UH, GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, MEET FOLKS FROM, FROM OTHER CITIES.
ACTUALLY, UH, LAST YEAR I MET, UH, GENESIS FROM DALLAS, WHO NOW SERVES AS THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO OUR NEW CITY MANAGER.
UM, AT THE TIME SHE WAS LEADING, I BELIEVE, ALL DIGITAL EQUITY EFFORTS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO IT WAS A GREAT, UH, CONNECTION TO MAKE AND, UM, WE WELCOME HER TO, UH, TO THE C CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF, UM, UH, NETWORKING THAT WE CAN DO AS WELL AS LIKE LEARNINGS IN THE VARIOUS PANELS THAT ARE HELD.
UM, SO I GUESS JUST TO GO BACK TO THE, THE MEETING SCHEDULE, UH, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR, UH, I HAD PUSHED WITH, UH, THE REST OF THE COMMISSION'S SUPPORT, UH, TO SHIFT OUR OFF MONTH TO DECEMBER.
UH, AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF REASONS FOR THAT.
UH, SO AUGUST, I THINK F FELL ON THE, UH, THE ACTUAL, UH, BUDGET RELEASE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING.
AND THEN I THINK THERE WERE ALSO SOME G TOPS, UM, ITEMS, UH, THAT WE WANTED TO, TO CLOSE OFF ON MM-HMM.
SO IT, I THINK LIKE IN PREVIOUS YEARS WE DID UP HAVING A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ANYWAY BECAUSE OF ALL THOSE ITEMS. SO IT'S LIKE, WHY NOT JUST LIKE, HAVE A PRE-SCHEDULED MEETING? UM, AND THEN IN THE HOLIDAYS IT JUST MADE MORE SENSE TO, TO TAKE OFF, BUT, UH, WANTED TO OPEN IT UP TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION.
UH, WANTED TO, UH, I MEAN, I'M, I'M CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, OPEN, YOU, YOU ALL KNOW ME, I'M EASY TO WORK WITH, BUT WANT TO WANT TO GET A REACTION FROM THIS, UH, THE MEETING SCHEDULE FOR NEXT YEAR.
I, MY ONLY THOUGHT AND COMMENT WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IS THAT MARCH 12TH MEETING, GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANCE, UH, THAT DAN, YOU ALLUDED TO ABOUT THAT MEETING DATE AND ALL OF THE CONFLICTS THAT OCCUR, UH, DURING THAT WEEK, WHETHER IT'S SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR THOSE THAT HAVE KIDS SPRING BREAK OR WHATNOT.
I WONDER IF WE COULD ONE OFF THIS TO THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH.
I THINK THAT'S MARCH 5TH, I BELIEVE, UH, JUST TO AVOID, UH, ALL THE CONFLICTS THAT MIGHT ENSUE FOR OTHER PEOPLE, BUT OPEN TO THOUGHTS, UH, UH, THAT WAS JUST CAME TOP OF MIND FOR ME.
WHAT DO YOU, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? YEAH, IF I CAN PROVIDE ANY INPUT, UM, I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA.
UM, AND ALSO BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PURSUE HAVING THAT MEETING HERE AT CITY HALL.
THERE ISN'T ANY NEED TO HOLD THIS MEETING ON THE 12TH.
UM, THE ONLY REASON THAT THE, THE DAY PROPOSED IS THE 12TH IS 'CAUSE IT, IT FALLS IN LINE WITH OUR, UH, EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE.
UM, AND IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR RESERVATION AT CITY HALL, UM, WE, WE PUT IT FOR THE 12TH, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP THAT RESERVATION SINCE IT'S HARDER TO GET TO THIS MEETING.
UM, SO IF, IF THE REST OF THE COMMISSION IS ON BOARD, THEN, UH, I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL IDEA.
AND WE'D MOST LIKELY HAVE THAT MEETING AT THE AUSTIN ENERGY BUILDING IN, UM, IN THE MUELLER AREA, UM, IN THAT PLAZA OR THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WHICH IS JUST BEHIND A CC HIGHLAND.
SO ONE OF THOSE TWO BUILDINGS, WHICH IS A LITTLE NORTH AND OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN MESS DURING SOUTH BY YEAH, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE OPEN TO THAT.
AND YOU SAID THAT THAT WEEK OF MARCH 12TH IS, IS SPRING BREAK FOR THE, FOR A ISD KARINA? UH, I, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S A-I-S-D-I, I'M SORRY.
MY, UH, I SAID MY SENT TO A MONTESSORI SCHOOL, SO I DON'T KNOW THE A ISD SCHEDULE, BUT I KNOW SPRING BREAK FALLS, UH, LIKE THOSE DURING THOSE WEEKS.
UH, WHAT DOES THE REST OF THE COMMISSION THINK ABOUT MOVING THAT TO THE EARLIER WEEK? YES, COMMISSIONER DE GUPTA.
OH, I THINK THAT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA.
AND, UH, IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO SITES, UH, THE ONE, THE HIGHLAND MALL, UH, CAMPUS IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO MEET.
OF COURSE, BY THEN MY REPLACEMENT PROBABLY WILL BE ATTENDING IT
AND WHICH MEANS, UH, I ALSO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST BECAUSE IT'S CLOSER TO MY HOUSE.
[01:00:01]
I CHAIR, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.AND, UM, I'D RATHER ALSO AVOID GOING THROUGH THE GAUNTLET OF DOWNTOWN IF WE CAN.
UM, MY ONE QUESTION TO LAYER ON, I DID HAVE A QUESTION, DAN, YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHTS ON THIS SINCE, FOR, FOR COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE RELATIVELY NEW STILL TO THE COMMISSION, I'M CURIOUS, I KNOW WE SUBMIT OUR FY 26 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS THERE DO KNOW LATER THAN MID-APRIL.
UM, IS THERE, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH PRIOR MEETING MINUTES.
IS THERE A COPY OR CAN WE GET A COPY OF WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED, JUST FOR CONTEXT, UM, I'D LOVE JUST TO LOOK AT THAT AS ALMOST A PREDICATE AS I, AS WE MOVE INTO THIS NEXT, UM, SEASON FOR UPCOMING.
AND I GUESS IT'LL BE MARCH 5TH.
I THINK WE ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, BUT IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD SHARE WITH US, DAN? UM, OR IS THAT INCLUDED IN THE I WAS LOOKING THROUGH, I THINK IT WAS, UM, MARCH 26TH, BUT I, I WASN'T SURE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THERE SPECIFICALLY THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK LAST YEAR WAS SPECIFICALLY LIGHT ON RECOMMENDATIONS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER IF WE MAY HAVE JUST HAD ONE, IF ANY.
UM, SO PRIOR, PRIOR YEARS MAY HAVE, UH, A MORE SUBSTANTIAL DOCUMENT.
UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL STILL SEND THOSE TO THE WHOLE COMMISSION, UM, JUST FOR REFERENCE.
UM, AND, UH, LAST YEAR WE DID THE GTOP S THE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
AND THAT WAS IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION.
SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE HISTORICAL FILES, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER HERITAGE, UH, I THINK LOOK AT THE RESOLUTION FOR THAT ONE.
THAT'S I'LL, I'LL IDENTIFY IT AND SEND IT OUT AFTER THIS MEETING OR PERHAPS DURING.
SO I'M HEARING CONSENSUS OF, UH, MOVING THAT MARCH 12TH, UH, DATE TO MARCH 5TH, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL DO IT AT THE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY LOCATION.
YOU WANNA DO? YEAH, WE CAN, WE'LL HAVE TO PROBABLY SCOPE THE AVAILABILITY.
AND THEN I ASSUME THE, THE REST OF 'EM WILL BE HERE AT CITY HALL? YEP.
WELL THAT'S THE, THE ONE CHANGE I THINK, UH, WE'LL HAVE.
UM, I'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MEETING SCHEDULE WITH THAT, UH, WITH THE MARCH 5TH AMENDMENT.
IS THIS SUZANNE? I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MEETING SCHEDULE WITH THE MARCH 5TH AMENDMENT.
MOTION PUT FORWARD BY, UH, COMMISSIONER HERITAGE AND SECONDED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER KUTA.
JUST WAIT FOR A COUPLE MORE COMMISSIONERS TO COME ONLINE.
I THINK WE NEED AT LEAST ONE MORE.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE 25 MEETING SCHEDULE WITH THE MARCH 5TH AMENDMENT.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? NOPE.
WE ARE UNANIMOUS IN OUR PASSING OF THE, UH, MEETING SCHEDULE.
I'M GLAD WE GOT THAT SQUARED AWAY.
UH, JUST IN TIME FOR THE DEADLINE.
UH, WITH THAT WE'LL WORK, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR WORKING GROUP UPDATES.
[7. Update from the public surveillance working group]
UH, FOCUSED ON PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE.UH, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, COMMISSIONER PENA VIA, UH, TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON OUR WORK IN THAT WORKING GROUP.
SO AS PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP, WE HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS.
UM, WE RECENTLY COMPILED A LIST OF, UH, MORE THAN 20, 20, 20 PLUS STAKEHOLDERS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
UM, MOST OF THEM ARE PART OF THE EUROPEAN WATCH OR GOOD SYSTEMS INITIATIVE, UM, PART OF THE UT DUTY SYSTEM.
UM, AND WE, NOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, COMPILED A LIST, WE'RE LOOKING TO REACH OUT TO LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE THANKSGIVING, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE AIMING TO SCHEDULE THE STAKEHOLDERS INTERVIEWS IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY.
AND YEAH, HOPEFULLY WE'RE ALSO, UH, AIMING TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND PROPOSE AS A, AS A POTENTIAL, UH, RESOLUTION, UM, BY THE END OF Q1.
SO YEAH, THAT'S BASICALLY THE, THE UPDATE AND
[01:05:01]
NEXT STEPS AS PART OF THE SPOKEN.AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, WE DID HAVE AN INITIAL MEETING WITH DR.
UM, SO SHE POINTED US INTO SOME, UH, GOOD DIRECTIONS AND, UH, UH, WE WILL, UH, CERTAINLY LEVERAGE HER, UH, FOR SOME INTRODUCTIONS TO, UH, STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL.
UM, COMMISSIONER HERITAGE, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING, UH, BECAUSE SINCE YOU'RE PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP, JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO CHIME IN AS WELL.
UM, NO ADDITIONAL COLOR TO ADD.
I THINK, UH, IF YOU, YOU DID A, THE HEAVY WORK OF PUTTING TOGETHER THE INITIAL LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY START TO TACKLE.
AND, UM, WE DISCUSSED, THERE'S SOME UPCOMING CONFERENCES THAT HAPPEN TO BE VERY TANGENTIAL AND RELATED TO THIS TOPIC.
SO SMART CITIES CONNECT IS GONNA BE IN AUSTIN THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN, BUT USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY AS WE TRY TO CONNECT WITH OTHER LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, MEETING WITH OTHER CITY JURISDICTIONS AS WELL.
SO, UM, I THINK ULTIMATE DELIVERABLE IS, YOU KNOW, A LIST OF, THIS IS WHO WE TALK TO, THIS IS WHAT WE LEARNED, AND THIS IS WHAT WE RECOMMEND.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON OUR WORK ON THAT WORKING GROUP? NOT HEARING ANYTHING.
UH, SO WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO
[8. Update from the Artificial Intelligence working group]
ITEM EIGHT.UH, THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORKING GROUP.
UH, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, DID YOU WANT TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL UPDATE ON OUR STATUS? OKAY.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, UH, IS NOT ABLE TO COME OFFLINE.
I'LL, UH, GIVE A QUICK UPDATE.
SO WE HAVE SCHEDULED, UM, SOME TIME WITH, UH, OURSELVES AS WELL AS A KICKOFF MEETING WITH SOME OF THE, UH, NONPROFITS, UH, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THE CONVERSATION AS WELL.
UH, THAT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY THE 18TH.
UM, SO, UH, SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THAT CONVERSATION INCLUDE KEVIN WELCH, UH, FROM EFF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS LEONI FROM OPEN AUSTIN.
UM, THOSE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD, UM, UH, PRESENTED TO US TWO MEETINGS AGO ON THE TOPIC AND ON THE NEED AND DESIRE FOR, UH, TO, UM, TO EXAMINE, UH, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, UH, ETHICAL ISSUES, UH, FOR THE CITY.
SO, UM, EXCITED TO HAVE A, A KICKOFF MEETING WITH THEM ON THE 18TH.
UH, SO, UH, EXPECT THAT IN JANUARY WE'LL HAVE MORE SUBSTANTIVE UPDATES.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WELL, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON, UM, THAT ITEM, THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORKING GROUP? AND JUST A QUICK REMINDER, THERE ARE ONLY THREE OF US INVOLVED IN THAT WORKING GROUP, MYSELF, COMMISSIONER WILLIAMS, AND COMMISSIONER MAKU.
SO IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED IN, IN PARTICIPATING, UM, AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE THAT MEETING, UH, MONDAY THE 18TH, UM, TO REACH OUT, UH, SEPARATELY, AND WE CAN INCLUDE YOU UP TO A QUORUM OF COMMISSIONERS.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, SO OUR, JAN, OUR NEXT MEETING FOR JANUARY.UH, WE HAD A COUPLE OF GUEST SPEAKERS, UM, SCHEDULED.
UH, DAN OR JESSE, DID YOU ALL WANT TO, UH, JUST QUICKLY MENTION THE, UH, OUR PLANS FOR, FOR THAT MEETING? RIGHT.
UH, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER GT OS PRESENTATION THIS TIME FROM THE MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.
UM, THEY'RE GREAT ORGANIZATION.
UM, SUPER INTERESTING WORK, IF ANYTHING, UM, VERY DIVERSE.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL, UH, GET AN UPDATE FROM, UH, THE, THE CITY STAFF THAT IS, UH, CHARGED WITH DOING THE WEBSITE REDESIGN.
UM, THEY SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST SOMETHING, UH, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO TALK ON AND DELIVER, UH, IN JANUARY.
UM, SO YEAH, WE HAVE THAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
AND, UH, AS ALWAYS, IF UH, FOLKS HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, ITEMS THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE AGENDA, UM, WE CAN, UH, DO THAT JUST WORK WITH, UH, MYSELF AND DAN.
UM, I THINK THAT IT, THAT'S, UH, THAT BRINGS US TO A CLOSE, UH, OUR FINAL ITEM ADJOURNMENT.
LOOK FOR A MOTION TO CLOSE US OUT IF FOLKS WANNA
[01:10:01]
COME ON CAMERA.I SUPPORT A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I SECOND COMMISSIONER DESTA SECONDS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ENDING OUR MEETING, SAY AYE.
THINK WE'RE MOSTLY UNANIMOUS IN THAT
WE'LL SEE EVERYONE IN JANUARY IF WE DON'T SEE YOU BEFORE IN THE WORKING GROUPS.
AND UH, UH, COMMISSIONER DOES GUPTA.
NEXUS IS A GREAT READ FOR ANYBODY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER BOOK.
NO, IT'S NOT THE EASIEST READ THOUGH.
COMPRESSES SO MANY IDEAS INTO EVERY PARAGRAPH.
THAT I HAVE TO GO BACK TWO PAGES EVERY DAY AND THEN GO BACK, GO FORWARD.